I DID IT

First time ever finishing a whole month of blogging every, single, solitary day. I will not try this again until next year. It was tough. :)

monday blues

A normal 2 day weekend can really do some damage to my house. So you can imagine what a 5 day weekend can do. I really want to move all my Christmas boxes from the garage to the living room and start going through them but I know I can't until my house is clean. But where to start? Laundry, dishes, cleaning sheets and making beds?

I also need to start emailing people for their mailing addresses. Bluck.
So if you read this please email me your mailing address! I want to send you a card I had made for free.

Date Night

Last night the cousins invited Alicia and Ethan for a slumber party. You know what that means? Ben and I went on a date! We went to Claim Jumpers and then to see The Christmas Carol in 3D. It was so nice to have some alone time and not worry about how many hours we were out and adding up how much our babysitter would be getting.

THANK YOU LEVI AND DONNA!

Christmas can begin

Ben got all my boxes out of the garage attic today. So happy. I can start going through them and remembering what I bought last year that will be new this year! I am hoping we can get our tree tomorrow, though that may be optimistic.

I love this time of year.

Happy Birthday Daddy

My Daddy turns 60 today. I am able to celebrate with him which makes this day even better.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

"thankful"

I can truthfully say I am thankful. They are not just words one says on a day like today they are words I think about almost every day. Ben and I have had a great year. Things have gone really well in most areas of our lives. As friends and family have struggled, and I mean hard struggles and struggles that should never have to happen, we are reminded how blessed we have been. We have talked about it a lot the last few months. So today I am thankful that Ben has a good job with a great boss. That I can stay at home and be there for our 2 HEALTHY kids. That we belong in a growing church and have great loyal friends. That I love and trust my husband. And that I live in America where people have fought hard so they can live free. Free to serve a loving God.

Thank you God.

James 1:17 (King James Version)
17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Psalm 9:1 (New King James Version)
1 I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

POST 300

I have posted 300 times.
300 times I have posted.
This all started on January 21, 2008.
Almost 2 years ago.

rearranging

Every few months I sit in my living room and I get this feeling. It is accompanied with the lack of being able to breathe deep happy breaths. I look around and I see that our living room is not as clean and organized as I like it. Things have found homes where they don't belong. Toys are left out, legos have rolled away and are now hidden, things fall behind couches. I don't like it. So then I move all the furniture. Yep, every few months I rearrange. I can't help it. Last night Ben took Alicia on a date and was gone for the evening. I took advantage and rearranged. I am getting geared up for Christmas and made room for a tree. I look around my room today and I can breathe. At this moment every thing has a place. There are NO hidden objects. Every thing is vacuumed and clean. And the very small control freak in me is happy again.

AND I am ready for a Christmas tree.
Maybe on Sunday.

Soap

My favorite soap is discontinued. I thought of it this morning as I was smelling the new scent I am adjusting to, well it has been MONTHS. We now use Dove nectarine and white ginger. It's fine. I like the smell BUT it is not my favorites soap. The soap I took with me to the hospital when I had Ethan. The soap that makes things seem better in the shower. Dove Calming Night. It is a blue bar and comes in a dark blue box and it was perfect. I bought a few bars and then when I found out it was discontinued and I could not find anymore I saved the very last box. Once in awhile I go and smell it. :) I am not sure when I will finally break it out and actually use it but for now I can smell it.

PS I found it on amazon.com just now and paid $20.00 for 8 bars. It is that good. I figure I can put it in my stocking to make me feel better about the price.

pinch me!

They announced that LOST begins February 2!

There will be a one hour recap followed by a 2 hour season premiere.

Is the month over yet

I don't want to complain. really I don't. But this posting every day thing is wearing me out! I want a chance at free stuff but I am not sure it is worth this.

So I leave you with a picture I took on Thursday. I was sitting in my chair looked outside and saw a bird on our neighbors roof. A bird I would not ever expect to sit for hours on a roof. Usually you see them in swamps. I enjoyed watching it walk around the roof and finally settled on their chimney. It was there for quite awhile but did disappear before the kids came home from school. Pretty bird. Just for me.
My camera's zoom is broken and I couldn't very close to the bird so zooming in makes a pretty grainy picture. SORRY

New Moon

Last night I was up very late. Yep, I went to the midnight showing of New Moon here in town. It was sold out so I was glad I bought my ticket ages ago. I am also glad I was by myself because when I got there at 15 after 11 it was already PACKED. Not alot of places to sit and being solo allowed me to find a spot. I enjoyed watching the how they made Twilight as we waited and waited. New Moon was good. I am glad I went to a midnight showing even if I am 32 years old! But I am not sure I would go again. These people are die hard fans. So they cheer and cat call throughout the movie. They laugh at parts that I think are mildly funny. I found myself smiling at the way teenage girls act, and knowing I am way past that.

I thought this movie was better then Twilight but I had found Twilight the movie to be cheesy compared to the book. I thought this movie lost a little of the cheese. I enjoyed the movie and know all you Twilight series fans will too.

Free pictures

Yes, I used the code from freebies4mom yesterday. Have my free 50 cards being sent to me. I had just really wanted to use my kodak code as well. Not sure what I will do with 50 cards, but they were free.

UPDATE

So Alicia came home from school today in a great mood. She asked if she redid the pictures if she could be ungrounded from Webkinz. I said sure. So they went out and let me take some pictures. Sadly Ethan wasn't too in to it ths time but I made one work and ordered some cards! I really needed to do cards this year as I made the cutest stamps from a WDW picture we got in January. I am now excited to get these cards and send them off to everyone.

Lost temper

I tried to take pictures of my kids yesterday in their Christmas garb. They got all pretty, while grumbling, and I took them outside. But I did not get 1 picture. They were not in the mood to be accommodating. Alicia is now grounded from Webkinz for a week and I am in a bad mood. I really wanted to use my kodak code to get my free Christmas cards but Alicia hates her picture to be taken. I don't know what to do to get a few pictures out of her. I lost my temper. It isn't too soon after I loose it that I realize I loose a lot more then my temper when I let in to my ugly feelings. My daughter gets very hurt and looses a little bit of her respect of me.

This week in my Bible study we were reminded how we need to be in prayer over our day. If I had really been listening I would have been praying before those pictures. I knew they were going to be hard to get. I knew it wasn't going to be fun. So why didn't I take it to the Lord before? Hopefully I learned something from yesterday. I am sure I will be tested again. Hopefully next time I will react with grace.

Tv in our house continued

These are my top favorite shows. Notice they are my top favorite. Some of those I watch by myself. Ben has a different top list.

1. LOST
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. The Biggest Loser
4. NCIS
5. Bones
6. So You Think You Can Dance

Tv in our house

This is what is saved on our DVR right now. Most have 5 saved of each.

Man vs Wild, mostly reruns
Survivorman, also reruns!! When will they do some new ones
Mythbusters
The Prisoner, 2 parts of the 3 part series
Dirty Jobs
Magic School Bus
Numbers
The Colbert Report

So now you have an idea of what this household watches. My kids love these shows. They are our go to's when we need something our whole house can watch toegther. Well, of course not all of the above are family friendly but you know what I meant.

Dandelion Wine makes me whine

I finally finished Dandelion Wine, by Ray Bradbury. I was excited when I started this book months ago as I had read some high opinions of this book. Ray Bradbury is a well know sci-fi writer but this is one of his few that isn't. As I started reading I was thinking if I was an English teacher I would have my students read a few chapters of this book. Learn how to use words to describe things. He writes things like, "The golden tide, the essence of this fine fair month ran, then gushed from the spout below, to be crocked, skimmed of ferment, and bottled in clean ketchup shakers, then ranked in sparkling rows in cellar gloom." I loved the way he uses words but I felt that the book was missing a real plot. Descriptive writing should invoke some kind of emotion from a reader. All I felt was a dread to pick the book up and read one more chapter. Dandelion Wine covered a normal summer for a couple brothers in a small town. It jumped from one event in their lives to the next. Nothing very climatic happened. We didn't learn anything, except maybe that all things come to an end and I never felt a real connection to the boys or the town. But I did read some pretty words.
I am so happy to finally have finished it. To cross it off my list. I hope I never see this book again.

Dreams

Things I hope I get to experience before I die.

1) Ride in a hot airballoon
2) Visit Italy and Greece
3) Take dancing lessons
4) Go on an African Safari with Alicia
5) Learn to surf
6) Make a real marshmallow
7) Swim with dolphins
8) Go to the Olympics, don't care where

feeling nostaligic

Ben and I went to Whistler, Canada for our Honeymoon and then for our 5 year anniversary. So many beautiful places to hike, stroll, take jet boat rides, eat.
We had the best plum sauce with chicken strips in the square. We even went back another night to have them again. We dream of that sauce.
I loved the place we stayed for our honeymoon, pictured here. But then everything was magical about that trip.Both times we went in August. I would love to go back to Whistler in the winter. Maybe someday.


These are not my pictures. I took them from the web. 9 years ago I did not have a digital camera.

Praying with kids

In the morning it is always a race to get the kids bathed, fed, clothed, and with all the right things in the right bags. I like to leave a bit early and once we get to school we sit in the van and we pray. I started this last year and this year I have noticed a few things. They are exciting things to a mommy. One, the length of my prayers have gotten longer. They don't fidget or move around as much as they used to and so I can pray longer. And two they will not let me forget that I need to pray before we leave the van. I love it.
I have also noticed that this has become a good time for them to talk with me. It's only a few minutes but they seem to be very open this time of the morning. Yesterday we got to talking about cave men and dinosaurs. I immediately thought she meant cave men like apes but Alicia said of course we didn't come from apes. She just meant that men lived in caves before they built houses. :) Too funny. It was a good lead in to praying about seeking out truths and not listening to the lies the world can try to sell us.

FREEZING FOOD

I have gotten away from making double meals and freezing them. But I want to start having things in my freezer again, for when I really really don't want to cook. I am also trying something new! Lately we have been having a hard time knowing what to have for breakfasts. Partly because I didn't want to go over our grocery budget so we had minimal options. So yesterday, when I went grocery shopping, I made sure for the next 3 or so weeks we have lots of options. I bought some things and am planning on freezing some breads and muffins but yesterday I froze breakfast burritos! I made some for the kids and some for me- corn tortillas. I am excited that I will have an option that is fast for me. I mean the kids have all kinds of options but being gluten free really kills breakfast ideas. Now I have 6 corn tortillas filled with eggs, cheese, hashbrowns, and cheese rolled up and put away in the freezer JUST FOR ME. So yummy. The kids have the same fillings in flour tortillas.

I am also planning on freezing more gluten free foods. I find myself eating bad for me goodies if I don't have a fast gf option. So I am going to make some gluten free breads and muffins and also freeze those. I froze a few gf brownies yesterday as well.

What is your favorite thing to freeze?

ungrateful

I have so many things to be thankful for. I mean really 2009 has been a very kind year. Thank you Lord, as I know enough to know He has given me, well, everything. BUT I have a few things I am not grateful for and feel the need to tell you all. (Mostly as I need something to write about.)

1. DOGS. . .I hate them. I am so sorry if you have a dog that is just like a child to you, but I detest them. The ones that bark all night. The ones that sneak in from our neighbors yard to "go" in our yard, The ones that bark at me in grocery parking lots as I walk by scaring me to death. The one that bit me when I was a child. ALL OF THEM

2. Eating Gluten Free. I also Hate this. Everything that tastes good has gluten. And then I really dislike when I decide it is worth it to eat a cookie or sandwich and I keep eating gluten for DAYS, as gluten is an addiction, and then I feel my body fall apart. Not fun.

Well, I think that is it. Not bad really. Only two things I am ungrateful for.

I am thinking twice about posting this. I know I will get hate mail from PETA, and my sister in law will disown me. But we should always tell the truth, right?

"padding"

I was watching Brothers and Sisters where Kitty was recalling pulling shoulder pads out of a jacket and putting them into her bra. Her date hugged her and they popped out and went flying. It reminded me of a very embarrassing moment I had in high school. I am far enough past it that I think I can share it with you all. :)

For my first prom I went with a boy I didn't care for much. One of my closest friends convinced me to be nice to this guy that liked me and so I said "yes." And then regretted it, well, until this day. ANYWAY, I was even more flat chested then I am today and so I added some "padding." I used the ones you are supposed to use but somehow while we were at our restaurant one slipped out and fell down my leg. I could feel it falling out and making its way down my body but there wasn't much I could do. I discretely picked it up and went to the bathroom. I took the other one out and threw them both away. I still don't know if anyone ever saw but I would like to think not.

I hadn't thought of that moment in years. I don't think I shared it with very many people even then. So consider yourself lucky, or not.

Deep thoughts

I remember in high school and into college, my mom and I would shop at this store called Hirons. (love that store by the way.) It's a pharmacy that sells really cool gifts and has a mass amount of greeting cards. There were cards by Jack Handey who writes Deep Thoughts. I find this man hilarious. It may say something about me that I find him so funny, and not something all that good.

Here are two of my favorite ones:

****"If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is, "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is, "Probably because of something you did."

****One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going
to take my nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. "Oh no," I said, "Disneyland burned down."
He cried and cried, but I think that deep down he thought it was a pretty good joke. I started to drive over to the real Disneyland, but decided to go home instead.

Anniversary dreaming

Ben and I have been dreaming about what we will do for our 10 year anniversary next August. We most likely won't end up doing anything because we have an extended family tripped planned for Yellowstone in June BUT we are still dreaming. And I think hoping a bit that we can pull it off. (Maybe it will have to be our 15th) We have thought about Mexico and Hawaii, kids or no kids, August or January. I was thinking about letting you guys in on the dreaming. Where should Ben and I go? Do you have places you love or somewhere you would love to go? You can dream small or big.

P.S. Ben likes beaches with shade and he also likes castles. I like beaches.

Basketball Season

Last Saturday was the last day of soccer for my two, today was the first day of basketball for Ethan. I think we have now hit the age of busyness. Last year Ethan would not shoot a basket. 1 year later he won't stop shooting and actually made a basket today! It is amazing how a 4 year old plays versus a 5 year old. He is more aware of his body, surroundings, coach.


Are your kids playing sports?

Olive Kitteridge

This book has been om my "list" for A LONG time. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2009, and was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award, so I knew it was a must read. I finally got it from paperbackswap.com a few days ago and was excited to start it.

This book has 13 chapters that all connect somehow to Olive Kitteridge. Olive is married to a well liked man who seems to never really confide in his wife and left the child rearing to her. Each chapter is more or less 13 short stories and the stories wander through many years, going backwards and forwards in time, set in a small town in New England. But almost every story has an older couple that has had an affair at some point in their lives. Some physical some emotional but all impacting their married lives. I found it all rather depressing. I found myself actually leave the story as I was reading and wonder about the author. I do believe Elizabeth Stout is a very gifted writer but I don't think she would like to hear I left her story to contemplate how someone could view marriage the way she does. Also if she wasn't writing about marriages that were shallow she was having her characters brood on suicide or murder. A book, a town, an author definitely missing Jesus.

In one of the chapters, Olive bursts into tears when she meets an anorexic young woman. “I don’t know who you are,” she confesses, “but young lady, you’re breaking my heart.” “I’m starving, too,” Olive tells her. “Why do you think I eat every doughnut in sight?” “You’re not starving,” the girl replies, looking at this large woman, with her thick wrists and hands, her “big lap.”
“Sure I am,” Olive says. “We all are.”

This is what I felt this book was trying to say. We all are starving for something. Attention, love, admiration. Olive feels everything is unfair and everyone is lonely. What a sad way to see life. There was no hope in this book, no real love. In fact the author does a great job of criticizing Christians (and Republicans).

I am not sure I recommend this book but I did think it was very well written. I am sure at least one of my readers has read this book. What did you think of the book. Am I missing something?

P.S.

I am so done writing about swagbucks. I know those of you not doing swags could care less and I don't want to loose the few readers I have. BUT I did feel a bit responsible to those of you asking how to get more points.

So tomorrow I plan on writing about books, especially one I am about to finish later today. (It gave me weird feelings and almost made me angry) Because I know YOU ALL love to read about books. :)

After writing all this I wonder why I even have one reader left. I would not want to read about what I write about either.

More swagbucks help

I know I have already posted this, or a very similar post, a few months back, but I have had some of you ask how to get more points at swagbucks.com

**First for those not doing swagbucks this is a search engine ran site. I used to go to msn.com to search. Now I go to swagbucks and I can earn points occasionally just for my normal searches. This is really all this site does. It is not surveys, offers, etc. It is a search engine. So I make points, and then turn those in for amazon codes, doing something I normally do anyway.
**Second, you should not do any more searches on swagbucks then you would normally on any other search engine. You will not get more points for more searches. Usually I can get a swagbuck in the morning, one in the afternoon and sometimes one in the evening.
**Next, and I think an important part of earning points, I also check slickdeals.com for codes. I go to this page and click the last page to be current. These people are great at catching and posting codes that swagbucks has put on twitter, facebook, their toolbar, etc.. Swagbucks puts codes out on popular areas to draw people to them and advertise. If you want me to I can email you the codes as I find them. Let me know if this is something you would like and make sure I have your email address. Sometimes the codes are good for a few hours sometimes they are out for a few minutes.
**Referrals are a good way to get some points as well. Every point that a referral makes, up to 100 points, you also get. You don't get their code points just there searching points. I have 5 referrals right now. If you can even get 1 or 2 people to sign up under you and they make 2 points a day you can add 4 points to your account every day.

So there you have it. And more questions?

As incentive I have now made $50.00 in amazon codes since I joined mid-August. I am saving the money for a present for Ben. :) That way he can't see what I am spending. :) Total surprise.

50 Days until Christmas. . .

But who's counting. . .

catch up

I am catching up on pictures that have been living on my card for the last month.

This picture is one of my all time favorites this year. Ethan and one of his very good friends that he has grown up with, 5 years together. Plus it shows the missing teeth without his cheesy smiles. Then there is Alicia with one of her classmates on this very same field trip. They are such different children. She will never ever give me a smile, unless I happen to catch her off guard.

For Halloween I had a disco dancer and a storm trooper. They were great costumes for dark nights. Alicia's outfit really sparkled and Ethan's was a nice white. We had a really nice day with soccer games, naps, carving of pumpkins--there first time, trick or treating and lots of family throughout the day.

Christmas reading

I like to read Christmas themed books at Christmas. I really like a good Christmas mystery. Last year I read an Agatha Christie Christmas mystery. This year I am lost? I have read quite a few Christmas themed mystery's over the past 5 years and so now I am having a hard time finding something new. Do you guys have suggestions for a good holiday themed book to read this year? I like mystery's but I like them to be more mystery then scary. I used to read a lot of Mary Higgins Clark (college days) but I think now she may be too much for me.

I need help for you all, those that post regularly and those that lurk and have never posted on my site before, to come up with your favorite holiday read. I NEED some help.

NaBloPoMo

So how many of you are doing the November challenge put out by NaBloPoMo? I know some of the blogs I visit usually do.

I love this month in blogger world. Those of you that post infrequently let me catch up on your lives for one month. Last year I made it almost the whole month before I forgot a day. O, well. There is always this year.